Latch box for disk harrows



y 1954 w. P. OEHLER ETAL 2,682,737

LATCH BOX FOR DISK HARROWS Original Filed June 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 Q I "l I 0 3 8 I g 0 35 N5 J Q! 8 v {3 I T Q I 5 l l N I I g E l I :8

' I I o: I I m I I l I *5 l 3 I I F: 8 2 LL N 2 I INVENTORS. (1) WILLIAM P. OEHLER CHARLES H.YOUNGBERG ORNEYS Patented July 6, 1954 William P. Oehler and Charles H. Youngberg, Moline, Ill., assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application June I27, 1949 Serial No.

101,534. Divided and this application October a 7, 1950, S erial No. 189,014 7 .y i l I This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 101,534, filed June 27, 1949.

.The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and 'more particularly to offset disk harrows. V F

' The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of a disk harrow of the offset type having front and rear gangs normally movable from a straightened parallel or 4 Claims. (Cl. 55- -81) strained against movement beyond their str'aightenedposition, the right-turn control being constructed and arranged to override such restraint; whereby the harrow may readily be moved into the opposite angle, when desired, as to facilitate a right turn (assuming that the harrow is normally arranged to turn to the left).

Still further, another feature of the present invention is the provision of new and improved transport position into an angled or working 10 right-turn mechanism which responds to a turn position asan incident to the soil pressure actof :thetractor to the right but which operates ing against the disks when the machine is proentirelyindependent'of the angling mechanism; pelled forwardly, but which does not require any that-isfwithout losing the setting of the angle locks, latching means or the likefor holding the control means. disks. at the desired angle irrespective of adverse These and other objects and advantages of soil conditions and/orevariations in soilcondithe present invention will be apparent to those tions or the like. skilled-in the art after a consideration of the More particularly, it is a feature of this infollowingdetailed description, taken in conjuncvention to provide a disk'harrow ofthe offset tionwith the accompanying drawings, in which: type which is specially constructed and arranged Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an 01T- to be hitched to a farm tractor and operated set disk harrow" incorporating the present inthereby conveniently and efiicientlyf More spevention; the harrow being shown in transportor cifically, it is afeature ofthis invention to prostraightened positionvide an oifset disk horrow incorporating-a link- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the angle age acting between the front and rear gangs and control unit incorporated in the harrow shown connected to one side of the hitch structure for in Figure 1 and with which the present inventhe harrow so that the force'of the draftfac'ting tion is more particularly concerned. on the-linkage for swinging the rear gang'rela Figure 3 is a sectional view taken generally tive to the front gang'with an angled or workalong the line 8-8 of Figure 2. ingflposition so acts atsuchinechanical advan- Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the tag'e that soilapressure acting against the disks, '.9-9 o Figure 3- particularly on the: disks of the rear-gang, is not Referring now to the drawings, the Offset disk effective; to swing the gangs into a position f harrow which has been chosen to illustrate the lesser angle, 'yetthe linkage and associated parts principles Of e present invention is indicated are so arranged that'swinging of the gangs into in its entirety by the reference numeral I and their transport or parallel straightened'position mprises a fr nt gan 2 and a r ar an which may easily and quickly be eifec'ted. is notishown' but which is similar to the front a Aifurther feature of thisinvention is the progang- E h fr m rri a plur li y of p irs f vision of anew .andlimproved angling or control bearing st nda ds 1 and 8, h pa in d mechanism which. is particularly adapted for 40 posed in wnw r ly nver in rel i n n use with the above mentioned ofiset disk harrow ed at their p r s o the frame s 5 and which will permit straightening'and'a'ngling nd at their l wer ends are secured to a di k the gangs from the tractor seat and without regang bearing unit M. So far as the present inquiringthat thetracto'ri have implement-operat ention is concerned, the latter is of convening power cylindersor the like. It is a further tional construction and provides for the recepfeature of this invention to provide an angle n Of a gang elt ll 0 which dis s l2 are d scontrol means so constructed andarranged that p ith eir p c $130018 13 b w e e backing the harrow will automaticallybring the diskse front d ea gangs 2 d 3 are harrowgan'gs into 'ast1jaightened position'fapivotally interconnected for movement into and cilitating" rearward movement 'of' the harrow. out of angled and transport or parallel positions Another feature of this invention is the provision y b 0f gling links or other suitable means, of alright-turn" control particularly adapted for as d d. usewwith a harrow having an angle control of The harrow l is adapted to be connected to a the above type, namely, one in which when the source of power, such as a farm tractor, by a outfit is backed the gangs are normally rehitchstructure; indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 43. The hitch structure 40 comprises a hitch bar 4| having a bifurcated portion 42 formed at its forward end and apertured to receive a hitch pin 43 by which the harrow may be connected to the drawbar 44 of a tractor. The hitch structure 43 also includes a bracing member 41 which at its forward end is pivotally connected, as at 48, to the bar 4|. The member 4'! comprises two telescopically associated parts which have a plurality of apertures providing for attachment of one part to the other in different positions of adjustment. The telescopically associated parts are shown at 5I and 52.

An angling lever 56 is pivotally mounted, as at 51, on a forwardly extending bracket 58 that is fixed, as by welding or the like, to the front bar 5 of the front gang frame 4. The angling lever 56 is in the form of a bell crank, one arm 65 of which receives a pivot pin II by which the rear end of the hitch bar M is pivotally connected therewith. The other arm of the bell crank member 53 is indicated at I4 and is apertured to receive a quick-detachable pin I5 by which one end of an adjustable angle-determining means may be connected thereto. Such means will be referred to later in detail and is connected at its other end by a pivot pin IS with a lug 11 carried adjacent one end of the front disk gang frame 4.

The angle-determining unit in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated is shown 'as acting between the bell crank member 56 and the front gang 4 and is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I30. The unit I30 may be controlled, as will be described below, without requiring that the operator dismount from the tractor.

The angle-determining mechanism I30 comprises a pair of telescopically associated members I3I and I32 pivotally connected at their outer ends, as by the pivot pins I5 and 15, to the bell crank 56 and the apertured lug I I on the front gang frame 4. The angle control member I3I comprises upper and lower bar sections I33 and I34 welded at their inner ends to strips I35 which form, in conjunction with the bars I33 and I34, a tubular or sleeve section I36 in which the inner end of the cooperating telescopically associated member I32 is received. The latter member comprises a square bar I3! and a pair of apertured lugs I33 welded to the outer end of the square bar I37, the apertures in the lugs I38 receiving the pivot pin IS. The upper and lower bars I33 and N4 of the angle control member I3I are provided with a plurality of apertures I4I adjacent the outer end of the member I3I and, inwardly thereof, another pair of apertures I42. The extension of the telescopically associated members [SI and I32 is limited by means of a sto pin M4 which is removably inserted in an opening I45 in the inner end of the square bar I31, the pin I44, when in place in the opening I45, being held rigidly in place by means of a locking screw I45. Access to the locking screw I46 is obtained through the opening I42 in the upper bar I33 of the member I3I. By loosening and/or removing the locking screw I46, the stop pin I44, which engages the adjacent ends of the strips I35 to limit the outward movement of the member I32 relative to the member I3I, may be removed. When the stop pin I44 is in place, as shown in Figure 1, backing the harrow serves to move the disk gangs from their operating or angled position into a parallel or transport position, during which action the bell crank 55 swings in such a direction as to draw the member I3I away from the member I32, but the pin I44 is positioned so that when the gangs reach their parallel position the ends of the strips I35 come up against the pin I44, thereby preventing the harrow gangs from moving past their straightened or transport position when the harrow is backed. As best shown in Figure 1, the openings I42 are so placed in the bars I33 and I34 that they come substantially in register with the inner end of the square bar I3? when the pin I44 lies against the adjacent ends of the strips I35.

When the sto pin I44 is detached from the bar I3'i, the harrow gangs may be swung past their transport or straightened position and into an oppositely angled position, by backing the tractor. This feature of the present invention will be referred to in more detail later. When a forward pull is exerted on the hitch 40 of the harrow and the outfit driven forwardly, the soil pressure against the disks serves to swing the gangs into an angled or working position. During this action the bell crank 56 is swung in such direction as to move the member I 3i in telescoping relation with respect to the bar 532, and the harrow gangs continue to move into a position of increasing angle until the inner end of the bar I37 comes up against a stop or an abutment. In the instant form of the invention the angle-determining sto comprises a new and improved latch box unit I55 which will now be described.

The angle-controlling latch unit I50, with which the present invention is more particularly concerned, is mounted for sliding movement on the member I3I longitudinally thereof and along the line of apertures MI and I42. The unit I53 comprises a latch box or frame made up of a pair of side plates I5I and I52 suitably connected together by intermediate and lower spacer bars I53 and I54 and 'at their upper edges by a generally circular abutment plate I55. The latter and the spacing bars I53 and I54 are provided with aligned apertures. A vertically disposed locking plunger I51 is disposed in the apertures in the intermediate bar I53 and the abutment plate I55 and extends upwardly above the surface of the latter member a distance sufficient to receive a generally horizontally disposed, operating lever I58 pivotally connected thereto. Preferably, the lever I58 is made up of a pair of bars I59 which are apertured to receive a pivot pin IBI that extends through a transverse opening in the upper or extended end of the locking plunger I57. The lever I58 extends in opposite directions from the pivot I6I and normally is disposed flat against the abutment plate I55 by virtue of a spring I32 which is disposed between the underside of the plate I55 and a stop washer I64 which is held in place by a pin I35 extending through an opening in the lower portion of the locking plunger I51, just above the intermediate spacer plate I53. An operating cable I66 is connected to the longer end of the lever I 58, and the lower end I3? of the plunger I5? extends downwardly, when the lever I58 lies flat against the plate I55, a distance sufficient to enter, and thereby be latched to, any selected opening I M in the upper bar I33. The plunger I55 does not enter the openings in the lower bar I34, but the latter bar is apertured like the upper bar I33 to provide for convenience in manufacture and assembly. An abutment in the form of a crossbar III is carried by the lower portions of the side plates II and I52 and extends laterally outwardly through openings I12 formed in the side plates I5I and I52. The outer ends of the bar I1I are apertured to receive'cotters I13 or the like to which the adjacent ends of a pair of springs I15 and I16 are connected. The other ends of the springs I15 and I16 are connected to an anchoring hook or yoke I11 which, as best shown in Figure 1, is secured, as by welding, to

the outer end of the upper lug I38 of the member I32. The crossbar I1I is disposed in the path of movement of the forward or inner end of the bar I31 and, when the latch box unit IE0 is locked to the member I3I, the 'bar I1I serves as a stop limiting the movement of the bar in an inward or retracting direction. the rope or cable I66 extends from the outer end of the latch control lever I58 toward the operators seat on the tractor, the locking plunger I51 and the control lever therefor being free to swing around the generally vertical axis of the plunger I51.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, offset disk harrows are usually adapted to be angled in working position either to the right or to the left. For example, the harrow shown fragmentarily in Figure 1 is adapted to be angled in working position-to the right, but the harrow may be arranged to be angled to the left merely by reversing the arrangement of the hitch 40. This disposes the tractor in a different position relative to the harrow and hence the cable I66 and lever I 65 lie in a somewhat different position relative to the latch box or frame I50. The lever I58 and plunger I51 are freely swingable about the axis of the plunger, and in any position of the lever I58 about the axis of the plunger I51, a generally upwardly directed pull on the cable I66 causes the other end of the lever I58 to act against the abutment plate I55 and raise the plunger I51 until the lower end moves out of the associated aperture MI in the upper bar I33. This frees the latch unit I50 for movement along Normally,

the bar I3I, either to another of the apertures I 4| or to the aperture I42, in which case release of the cable permits the spring I62 to move the lower end of the plunger I51 into the opening I42, thereby disposing and lockingthe stop member I1I in a position substantially against the inner end of the bar I31, with the stop member I44 of the latter against the ends of the strips I35. In this position of the parts the angle control unit I30 is locked in its extended position, which maintains the harrow gangs straightened in their transport position.

The operation of the angle-control mechanism as described above is substantially as follows. Assuming that the harrow is in its straightened or transport position, to bring the same into a working position the operator drives the tractor forwardly. The harrow gangs will automatically move into their angled or working position, the bar I31 moving into a retracted position relative to the companion bar I3I until the inner end of the bar I31 comes up against the stop member I1I of the latch unit I50, assuming that the latter is in a working position adjacent the outer end of the member I3I, as shown in Figure 1. If, for example, the locking plunger I51 is disposed in one of the intermediate openings MI, and that the operator desires to increase the angle between the disk gangs, all the operator has to do is to exert a pull on the cable I66 which raises the plunger I 51 out of the intermediate opening MI and then drive the tractor forwardly,

whereby the'soil pressure against thedisks' acts to increase the angle between the disk gangs, whereupon the bar I31 moves further inwardly of the bar I3I moving the latch unit I50 relative to the bar I3I. the position desired by the operator he releases his hold on the cable I66, permitting the plunger I 51 to enter into an adjacent opening I4I, thereby terminating further retracting movement of the angle-determining unit I30 and thereby locking the gangs in the angled position selected.

If, on the other hand, a reduced angle of operation is desired, the operator stops the tractor, pulls on the cable I66 to lift the plunger I51 from the associated opening I 4| and then backs the tractor. The soil pressure against the disks when backing the outfit serves to reduce the angle, and as the angle between the disk gangs is reduced the corresponding movement of the bell crank 56 draws the member I3I away from the member I32, and as this occurs the springs I15 and I16 cause the latch box unit I50 to move substantially with the inner end of the bar I32, relative to the bar I3I Therefore, when the desired reduced angle is reached, the operator releases his hold on the cable I66, permitting the plunger I51 to enter an adjacent opening I M, thereby limiting further angle-reducing movement of the latch box I50. Then the tractor is driven forwardly and the angle of the gangs increased until the inner end of the bar I31 comes up against the stop bar I1I in the'new'position of the latch unit I50.

If it is desired to transport the harrow, as along headlands, roads and the like, with the gangs in their straightended position, the operator backs the tractor while pulling upwardly on the cable I66 to release the plunger I51 from the opening I M. Then as the harrow approaches and reaches its straightened or transport position, with the latch unit I50 following the inner end of the bar I31, the plunger I51 is permitted to enter the opening I42 by the operator releasing the cable I66 when the disk gangs reached their straightened position. Thereafter, so long as the latch box I50 is retained in this position, the disk gangs are held or locked in their straightened or transport position, and the harrow may then be driven either forwardly or backwardly as desired without having the disks move out of their transport position.

When the latch box I50 is in an operating position, as indicated in Figure 1, and it is desired to back the outfit, it is not necessary for the operator to do anything to the latch box unit I50.

Backin of the harrow in its operating position,

with the latch box I 50 locked to the outer end portion of the angle-control member I3I, results in a straightening movement of the disk gangs, but when the pin I44 comes up against the strips I35, the disk gangs are held against moving past their straightened position while backing the outfit. Therefore, the outfit may continue to be backed as long as desirable without changing the position of the latch unit I50. Then, when forward travel is resumed, the harrow automatically goes into its operating position and at the same angle as before, as determined by the unchanged position of the latch unit I50.

While we have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated,

it is to be understood that our invention is not to' be limited to the exact details shown and When the disk gangs reach 7& described. above, but that, in fact; widely different means may be employed inthe practice- 01" the broader aspects of our invention,

What we claim, therefore; anddesire tosecureby Letters Patent is:

1. In: a disk harrow or the like having a pair of telescopically associated members, the improvement comprising a latch unit adapted to be mounted on one of saidmembersand includin a framereceivingsaid one member and adapted to be fixed at one end in upright relation to said one member, a locking plunger mounted for both rotation. and axial: displacement in said frame and extending outwardly therefrom at the upper end" of said frame, and a lever pivoted to the outer end of said plunger and bearing at one end against the upper face ofthe outer end of said movable axially andqrotatably therein, said'fra-me having an abutment plate apertured to receive anend of said plunger which extends therethrough, saidplate lying in a planesubstantially perpendicular to the axis of 'rotation of said plunger, and anv operating lever pivoted to the extended end of said plunger and having an end 8? ful'cruming on said; abutment plate in any position. to which the plunger may be rotated.

3. Adatch. unit: for. agriculturalv machines and the like, comprising aframe, a, locking plunger movable axially and rotatably therein, said frame having an; abutment plate apertured' to receive an end of said plunger which extends therethrough, said platelying in a. plane substantially perpendicular to the. axis of rotation of said plunger, an operating'lever, means pivotally connecting said lever-to the outer end of said plunger in. such a position that saidlever. normally lies against said plate, substantially engaging the latter at opposite sides of the outer end of said plunger, and means connected with one end of said lever for causing the other end to fulcrum on said abutment. plate and" shift said plunger in any. position to which the plunger may be rotated.

4. The invention set. forthin claim 3, further characterized by spring means. acting against said frame and against said plunger for holding the latter in an inner position. relative to said frame and holding said lever substantially flat against said abutment plate.

References Cited in-v the; file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,793,746 Olson Feb. 24, 1931 2,255,380 Curtis Sept. 9, 1941 2,377,521 Rutter June 5, 1945 2,430,143 Rutter. Nov. 4, 1947 

